Contest Rules

Open to CUNY undergraduates, this contest offers cash prizes up to $1,000 in four categories: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and visual art.

Entries should be about work, and be in some way linked to an image of work and workers. The aim is to encourage visual literacy and serious attention to the history of workers. Keep in mind that paid work and labor unions are only part of the story—entries about unpaid work, immigration, family and community are also encouraged. The contest aims to expand student engagement with the underappreciated history of work and workers in this country, and encourage critical thinking about their own work experiences.

The deadline for this contest was March 18, 2019. Check back in the fall to enter the 2019–2020 contest.

Prizes in each category: First Place: $1,000 // Second Place: $500 // Third Place: $250 // Honorable Mention $100.

Here’s what makes this contest unusual —

Students submitting written work must include an image that is related to the themes in their writing. You may include a link to: a) one of the images below; b) one of the images from this gallery; c) an image from any Labor Arts exhibit or collection; OR d) an image from another source. Sample images from the LaborArts.org web museum:

Students submitting visual artwork must include a paragraph (100–250 words) explaining how their work shares the Labor Arts spirit. The statement must address the medium and the artistic tradition in which you are working.

Successful entries show thoughtful, original work on subjects relevant to work, to working people, and to the labor movement. Topics might include, but are not limited to: economic and social problems; issues of immigration; conflicts based on race, class, and ethnic identity; environmental concerns; child labor; women in the labor force; economic justice; globalization and international labor markets; organizing campaigns; crime and corruption; anti-labor campaigns; cultural and artistic visions; ideals and ideologies.

Entries are judged according to originality, content and style, by professors who teach undergraduates at CUNY. Prizes will be awarded at a ceremony in Spring 2019.

For more information, contact Brooklyn College Director of Graduate Studies Patrick Kavanagh at mwv@brooklyn.cuny.edu.

Submissions for this contest closed on March 8, 2019.